Hydrometer



Sept. 1l, 1945.

E. B. WESTLAKE, JR

HYDROMETER Filed nec. 28, 1942 Patented Sept. 11, 1945 UN ITE D* STATES PAT E N T O F FICE 2,384,664 nYDaoMETEndward B. Westlake, Jr., Upper DarbyPa. Applicatimneeember 28, 1942, serial Np. 470,421

` siolaims. .(-CL 'z3-33) i This invention relates to a hydromet'er used; measuring specic gravities .of liquid sirenas-'the freezingl point of anti-freeze solution andmore particularly to. a hydrometer having vthe stem of the ioat adapted to project above the hydrometer when in position to be read, thereby elimi-` nating the difficulty encountered by deposits within the glass` tube housing the lrydrometer bulb in conventional hydrometers new used in various industries. j Y

An object of this invention is to" provide: a hydrometer wherein the hydrometer bulb IproYAY jects into the open where it may be easily' read.

Another object ci this' invention is to provide a hydrometer that may bel lled at intervals., thereby permitting its use in radiators only parmuy sued. I v

Another object of this invention is to provide a, hydrometer that maybe easily read, wherein the parts are cushioned so as tolreduce chances of breakage, a hydrometer that' is easilyl manu-j factured and at the Sametime one that iseil` cient and dependable. l

Another; object ofthis invention is to provide a hydrometer provided with a-valve system which permits the pumping of the fluid to be` tested intov the hydrometer and released therefrom when the reading has been taken.

Other objects A,and advantages reside in the 1 construction of parts, the combination thereof and the mode of operation, as will become' 'more apparent from the following description.

Referring to the drawing, Figure l is aside elevational viewV oi" tl'iepreferred embodiment*of the hydrometen n Figure 2 is across sectional view taken cna plane normal to the axis of rotation of thefvalve' core.

Figure Bis a fragmentary, cross sectional'view of the valve member adjusted through an angle of 90 from the, position shown in Figure 2.'

Figure 4 is a fragmentary', cross sectional view of the. valve member taken substantially on the line 4-4 of. Figure 2.

In the drawing, the reference Vcharacter l0 indicates the main. body portion which is provided With a fluid chamber or compartment f2', having enclosed therein a hydrometer float bulb i4 for measuringb thespecic gravity of the fluid;

This. float bulb I4 is provided with a graduated stem i6 projecting through a suitable aperture I8. in the top ofthe main bod'y portionv I0. ASuit-- able means have been provided for'pum-ping or sucking and forcing theV liquid to be tested into leb the compartment l2. 'lhev valve and pumping means willnow be described.

The device for supplying liquid to the com-- partment |2'includes a valve member 2U having a hollow cylindrical portion 22 that is provided with an intake passage 24 connected to a suitable hcse 26 adapted to project into the liquid to be tested. The cylindrical portion 22 is provided with an outlet passage 28 extending through a cylindrical stem portion 3U projectingV into a downwardly directed flangeportion 32 integral with the main b-ody portion I0. The main body portion IU is preferably made from rubber or possibly any other suitable molding material. The valve member may be made from metal, molding material or any other material that'rn-ay be cast or formed. The cylindrical portion 22 is providedV with a core member 45 rotatably mounted in the valve member and provided with a pair of transversely disposed passages 42 and 44. The passage 42 is provided with a pair of spherical segmental members 4 6 and 48 that function as check valves, permitting the fluid to pass upwardly through the passage 42, but preventing its return.

A rubber suction bulb 50', connected to ak suitable tubular extension 52, having a passage oommunicating with the passage 44', as sho-wn in .Fligure l, is used to draw liquid from the source of supply past the lower check valve 4'6 int-o the ball 50'. After the ball 5U has been partially filled with the liquid, it is pressed, so as to force the liquid past the upper check valve 48, as viewed in Figure 2to flll the compartment l2. The oper- 'i ation may be repeated until'suflicient liquid is 'supplied to compartment Vf2` to cause some of the liquid to enter into the opening i8 and possibly flow over the top. As the compartment Z is lled with liquid to be tested, the hydrorn'eter float bulbA i4 will rise until the displacement of liquid by the float bulb is equal to its weight. In order tof-catch` the overjow, the main body portion l0 has been provided with a dishshaped annular flange 6B', forming a cup that 'catches the overflowing liquid, so as to prevent spilling. When the compartment l2 has been lled and the float bulb i4 has caused the stem i6 to pro- .iect outwardly through the opening f8, `the read'- ing is taken from the graduated scale on the stem I6, where the stem emerges from theopening i8. A suitable scale 62 may be placed on the periphery of the iiange portion 32' for inten preting the reading taken from the hydrometer, as willr be described more fully later. 4

After the reading hasbeen obtained, the cornpartment I2 and the cup, formed by the annular flange 60, may be emptied by rotating the handle 64 through 90, so as t0 rotate the core member 40 through 90, to cause the passage 44 to register with the intake and outlet openings of the cylindrical portion 22. The core member 40 should be rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure l, to cause the enlarged end 'I0 of the passage 44 to register with the passage 28 and a drain passage 12, drainingthe cup formed by the Vdish-shaped annular flange 60. This permits all of the liquid to return to the source of supply, without spilling any and without any Waste. Any suitable means may be used to limit the rotation of the core member 40 in either direction. For the purpose of illustration, stop members 65 are used to limit the movement of the handle 64 and thereby limit the movement of the core member 40.

Due to the fact that specic gravity of liquids is influenced by temperature, a thermometer 80, mounted in the side wall of the compartment I2 and having a bulb 82 contacting the liquid in the compartment I2, is used to measure the temperature of the liquid under test. A longitudinal slot extending'through the side wall of the compartment has embedded therein the thermometer 8G, so that one side of the thermometer is visible from the outside of the wall, as seen in Figure l, and the other side including a portion of the bulb is exposed to the contents of the compartment. After the temperature has been taken andthe reading obtained from the hydrometer, it is merely necessary to refer to the scale or table 52 to ascertain the desired characteristic f of the liquid. If, for example, the hydrometer is to be used in testing anti-freeze solutions, a suitable table is provided for a particular solution. It may be found that for a given temperature, say 100 F., and a particular reading on the hydrometer, the table will indicate that the anti-freeze will protect the radiator for any temperature higher than below Zero, or whatever the table may indicate.

In the check valve arrangement shown, spherical segmental valve members 45 and 48 are seated upon suitable valve seats and held in position by arpair of transverse pins IUD. Instead of using spherical segmental valve members, any other suitable check valves could be used. Likewise, they may be held in position in any suitable manner. pose of illustration.

As described above, the temperature has been read` from the thermometer located in the side wall of the compartment I2. Instead of reading the temperature of the liquid to be tested upon this thermometer, the temperature of the liquid may be read by means of the thermometer 90 mounted within the bulb I4. Due to the fact that the stem of the hydrometer bulb I4 is made of glass, the thermometer mounted within the stem is visible as though it were mounted on the outside of the stem of the hydrometer bulb. When a thermometer-is mounted within the tube or stem, the stem is provided with two scales, one for reading the specic gravity of the liquid and the other for reading the temperature. This is a matter of choice as far as the invention is concerned.

From the foregoing, it may be clearly seen that no difficulty should be encountered in taking the hydrometer reading due to dirt or a sediment being deposited upon the parts from which the reading is taken, in that the stem I6 is not en- These have been merely shown for the pur closed in a glass tube, but projects into the opening, so that it may be clearly seen without vision being obscured by a dirty glass tube surrounding the stem. If, perchance, the stem should become soiled, the surface can be readily wiped clean in much the same manner as the stem of a thermometer.

Although the preferred modification of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement vof parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which gent erally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

' 1. A hydrometer including a main body having a Vcompartment near the top thereof, said compartment having an opening in the top, a hydrometer bulb mounted in the compartment, said bulb having a graduated stem projecting through the opening in the top of the compartment, means for lling the compartment with liquid to be tested, said means including a valve having an outlet passage communicating with the compartment, said valve having a core member provided with intersecting transversely disposed passages one of which passages is open, a pair of check valves mounted in the other of said passages, there being one check valve to either side of the intersecting passage, 'and suction means communicating with the open passage when the passage having the check valves registers with the outlet opening of the valve.

2. A yhydrometer having a downwardly projecting hose adapted to be inserted into the intake opening of a motor vehicle radiator, said hydrometer including a compartment provided with an "exposed opening at the top, means for lling the compartment with liquid to be tested, said means including a hollow compressible bulb and a pair of check valves, one of the check valves being located between the compressible bulb and the lower end of the hose and the other check valve being located between the compressible bulb and the compartment, one of said check valves allowing liquid to flow into the bulb and the other allowing liquid to flow out of the bulb into said cornpartment, and a-hydrometer bulb provided with a graduated stem, the hydrometer bulb being mounted within the compartment and the stem projecting through the opening in the top of the compartment so that the stem projects upwardly from the top of the'compartment so as to take the reading of the graduated stem atthe point where it emerges from the compartment.

3. A hydrometer having a downwardly projecting hose adapted to be inserted into the intake opening of a motor vehicle radiator, said hydrometer including a main body having a compartment near the top thereof, means for drawing liquid into the compartment, said means including a hollow compressible bulb and a pair of check valves, one of the check valves being located between the bulb and the lower end of the hose and the other check valve being located between the bulb and the compartment, said compartment having an upwardly directed opening, a cup portion surrounding the main body, said main body having a downwardly directed tubular portion provided with a pair of substantially parallel passages, said passages terminating at theirlower ends in close proximity to each other, one of said passages communicating with the compartment and the other passage communicating with the cup portion surrounding the body to catch the overflovr from the compartment, a bulb having a graduated stern mounted in the compartment, said stern projecting upwardly through the upwardly directed opening, a valve interconnected to the lower end of the tubular portion, lsaid valve having a pair of passages communicating with the passages in the tubular portion, a core member mounted in the valve, said core member bey ing provided with a pair of intersecting trans- Verseiy disposed passages, the opening to one of the passages in the core being greater than .the opening to the other passage in the core, so that when the passage provided with the larger opening is moved into registry with said pair of para11e1 passages drainage from the compartment and the cup portion is provided.

vEDWARD B. WESTLAKE, JR. 

